Learning to Mind the Light in Anxious Times
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
October 23, 2022
Good morning, Friends and welcome to Light Reflections. This morning our scripture reading is from John 3:19-21 from the New Revised Standard Version.
And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
Have you ever noticed how Quakers are always talking about “the light.” We use the phrase to say things like,
“I am holding you in the light.”
“We need to mind the light.”
“I am seeking my inner light” or “the light within.”
It also has been associated in Quaker circles with the historical Christ and as well the metaphorical understanding of Christ. We have a variety of names for Christ that speak of light:
Light of the World.
Father of Lights.
Light of Lights.
Light of God.
The Eternal Light
And the list could go on.
But you may not know that for us, Quakers, our use of “the light” metaphor goes all the way back to our founder, George Fox. Here is a modern English translation of George Fox’s words:
“So long as you live in the light nothing can trip you up, because you will see everything in the light. Do you love the light? Then here’s your teacher! When you are out walking it’s there with you, in your heart – you don’t have to say, ‘Look over here’, ‘Look over there’. And as you lie in bed it’s there with you too, teaching you, making you aware of that wandering mind of yours that likes to wander off, and of your attempts to master everything with your own thought and imagination – they themselves are mastered by the light. For if you follow your own thoughts, you will soon get lost. But if you live in the light it will reveal to you the root of your wrongdoing, and the distortions of your life, and the degraded condition in which you live, and your endless thinking about everything.”
That sounds very similar to our scripture reading we heard for this morning. The light is our inner teacher and is shedding light on the darkness of our lives – bringing awareness, capturing our wandering mind, and helping us find direction.
The problem for many people is that we have a hard time connecting to that inner light daily – especially in our over-busy lives. Quaker Rex Ambler in his studies started to wonder about similar things but how they related to early Quakers. His journey took him back to an in-depth study of the early Quakers to see how they found joy, peace of mind, and courage to share it with others, amidst the difficulties and anxieties of their day.
Rex knew that Quakers didn’t have specific spiritual practices of this nature and honestly, spiritual “how to” manuals weren’t that big in the 17th century. But as he looked through the Early writings of Friends, he was surprised to find a clear pattern emerge. Rex shares his findings in a book I think is well worth your reading, Light to Live By: An Exploration in Quaker Spirituality.
On his website “Experiment with Light,” Rex identified 4 stages of this spiritual practice which early Friends used and described. Lately, I have been spending some time studying mindfulness and its benefits during stressful and anxious moments. Religious Education specialist, John Baxter, gives the following definition of mindfulness as it relates to both Quaker and Buddhist practice. He says mindfulness…
…is the development of both a skill and a perspective, the skill first to focus on the breath and the body as a way of disengaging from a relentless chain of thoughts and emotions that course through us, and become a detached yet amicable observer of them, increasingly skilled in letting them go and returning to a basic and fundamental awareness of body, breath, and mental and emotional life.
It amazes me that what Rex discovers and ultimately identifies as early Quaker practice is right in line with what people are teaching today under the heading – mindfulness. Just listen to the four stages Rex identifies from our early Friends:
Mind the Light. This means stopping to consider what the Light within you shows you about what is happening in your life. Is anything causing you unease? Is there anything you need to attend to?
Open your heart to the Truth. Be honest and open with yourself and the Divine. Let the Truth emerge of its own accord. Don’t try to evade or excuse anything that you are shown, but also don’t let yourself become confused or guilty.
Wait in the Light. Instead of worrying over what the Light shows you, or trying to come up with solutions, be calm and patient. The Light itself, as it shows you the Truth, is a sign of something of the Divine within you. Its power can show you what you need to understand (or to do!) in order to achieve peace of mind—providing you don’t lose yourself in troubled emotions. “Be cool” said Fox in his longest account of this process.
Submit to the Truth. George Fox wrote in a letter,
“When you have seen what’s going on in your mind, and the temptations there, do not think but submit... You will then receive power. So, stand still in the Light, submit to it, and all the rest will quieten down or disappear.”
At times, the Light impels you to a necessary course of action, and then submitting means obeying it.
So, to help modern Quakers understand and find a practical use for what the early Quakers knew and taught, Rex created what he called an “Experiment with Light.” Some of you may remember pre-pandemic learning about this “Experiment with Light” from Dan and Jamie Mudd at a Saturday workshop they offered for us in our parlor.
In creating this, Rex realized these steps were very similar to psychologist Eugene Gendlin’s therapeutic process of “Focusing.” Gendlin describes “Focusing” this way,
There are three key qualities or aspects which set Focusing apart from any other method of inner awareness and personal growth. The first is something called the “felt sense.” The second is a special quality of engaged, accepting inner attention. And the third is a radical philosophy of what facilitates change.
Again, another process and resource that is often included in what we would label under the broader definition of mindfulness, today. Making these connections allowed Rex to find a way to re-introduce the early Quaker spiritual practice to us which I believe is relevant in our day and age.
This morning I would like to utilize Rex’s “Experiment with Light” based on Early Quaker understandings to help lead us into waiting worship.
Taking time to remind ourselves of these Early Quaker practices seem quite appropriate as things begin to ramp up with politics in our country leading to election day, with the threat of nuclear war back on the table, as the climate crisis continues to be more and more evident in our world, as inflation and the cost of living continue to go up, and as tensions rise within school boards, around family tables, and in our work situations. We, like our ancestors before us, must be honest that our minds and lives are once again full, seeking answers, and needing some semblance of HOPE.
Many are seeking alternative ways than just turning off mass media or getting off the internet to center down and mind the light in their personal lives – and as Rex came to see, Quakers have offered opportunities to do this since their very beginnings.
Folks, this is one of the reasons I was originally drawn to Quakerism. I first experienced these practices on Cannon Beach in Oregon each morning before entering my doctoral classes. I quickly found these early Quaker practices useful in helping me to center or refocus, calm my anxiety and inner-questioning, and ultimately discover positive solutions and hopeful possibilities for my condition and even the condition of my neighbors and world.
Now, don’t worry, to participate in this “Experiment with Light” you will be able to stay right where you are seated. I will be reading a prompt and then giving some time after each prompt to allow you to experiment with the light.
In this time, please hold the silence – these practices will lead us into our time of waiting worship.
So, let us begin our “Experiment with Light” this morning:
1 Start by Relaxing your body and mind. Make yourself comfortable.
Feel the weight of your body on the pew or chair.
Let all the tension go, in each part of your body (start with your head and work all the way down to your toes).
Let your immediate worries go, your current preoccupations.
Be relaxed, but alert.
Control your breathing.
Let yourself become wholly receptive.
2 In this receptive state of mind, let the real concerns of your life emerge.
Ask yourself, 'What is really going on in my life?', but do not try to answer the question. Let the answer come.
You can be specific: 'What is happening in my relationships, my work, my country, my Meeting, in my own heart and mind?' And more specifically still: 'Is there anything here that makes me feel uncomfortable, uneasy?'
As we gradually become aware of these things, we are beginning to experience the light.
3 Now, focus on one issue that presents itself, one thing that gives you a sense of unease.
Try to get a sense of this thing - as a whole. Deep down you know what it is all about, but you don't normally allow yourself to take it all in and absorb the reality of it. Now is the time to do so.
You don't have to get involved in it again or get entangled with the feelings around it. Keep a little distance, so that you can see it clearly. Let the light show you what is really going on here.
‘What is it about this thing’, you can ask, ‘that makes me feel uncomfortable?’
Let the answer come. And when it does, let a word or image also come that says what it's really like, this thing that concerns me.
4 Now ask yourself what makes it like that. Don’t try to explain it. Just wait in the light till you can see what it is. Let the full truth reveal itself, or as much truth as you are able to take at this moment. The answer will come.
5 When the answer comes, welcome it. It may be painful or difficult to believe with your normal conscious mind, but if it is the truth, you will recognize it immediately. You will realize that it is something that you need to know. Trust the light. Say yes to it. It will show you new possibilities. It will show you the way through. So, however the news seems to be at first, accept it and let its truth pervade your whole being.
6 As soon as you accept what is being revealed to you, you will begin to feel different. Accepting truth about yourself is like making peace. Something is being resolved.
If none of this seems to have happened, do not worry. It may take longer. Notice how far you have got this time and pick it up on another occasion. In any case this is a process we do well to go through again and again, so that we can continue to grow and become more like the people we are meant to be.
When you feel ready, open your eyes, stretch your limbs, and bring the meditation to an end.
At this time, we will begin our waiting worship. Take some time in the continued silence to reflect upon your “Experiment with Light” this morning.